ABOVE: The Orange County CARES Act will provide economic relief to eligible individuals and local businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. (Courtesy: Florida Virtual Entrepreneur Center)
ORLANDO | Orange County residents and businesses whose lives have been disrupted by the coronavirus can now receive financial assistance from their local government.
Under the Federal CARES Act, the Orange County government has received $243 million in coronavirus relief funds, according to their official website. The relief aid has been organized into the following categories: small businesses, residents, public health and safety, local governments and replenishment. Small businesses and residents have each been allocated $72.9 million, which totals 60% of overall funding from the CARES Act.
Overseeing the process of economic recovery in Orange County is the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force, a group of 50 representatives from various local organizations formed by Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings in April. The task force was designed to create and implement a gradual approach to rejuvenating the economic sector of Orange County in a safe, health-conscious manner.
“The Economic Recovery Task Force was established to develop a phased approach to reopening business in Orange County that balances the need to ensure the protection of employees and the public while preserving the economic livelihood of our community,” the task force said.
Tim Giuliani, president and CEO of Orlando Economic Partnership, and George Aguel, president and CEO of Visit Orlando, reside as co-chairs of the task force.
Michael Thomas, LGBT business owner of John Michael Exquisite Weddings & Catering, is one of the members of the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force. Thomas was sought out by the task force after being recommended by One Orlando Alliance Founding Executive Director Jennifer Foster for the diverse perspective he could bring to the group.
“They wanted as much diversity as they could,” Thomas said. “I was a small business owner and of course represent[ative] of the LGBTQ [community], so she suggested me and asked me if I would [join the task force].”
Thomas says that it’s important to note that the task force only serves an advisory role in the process of economic recovery in Orange County and does not have authority over the allocation of CARES Act funds.
“Mayor [Demings]…wanted to develop a task force to assist in recommendations or guidelines for [following executive] orders [from the governor], [as well as other guidelines] specific to Orange County”, Thomas said. “So, anything that the task force does is purely recommendation.”
Other businesses that are being represented in the task force include Walt Disney World Resort, Walmart, Universal Orlando, The Mall at Millenia, AdventHealth and Orlando City Soccer Club.
For businesses adversely affected by the coronavirus, an application for the Small Business Grant Program can be filled out. With this program, Orange County aims to provide grants to approximately 6,500 small businesses, according to the program’s homepage.
The application window begins June 8 and may close and reopen periodically depending on the evaluation of the Orange County government, according to the Small Business Grant Program’s FAQ section. Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds have been depleted.
Businesses that have met the eligibility criteria and whose applications have been approved by an appointed review board will be provided with a one-time payment of $10,000, which they are not required to pay back. Funds received from the program must be used to cover business expenses such as paying employees, rent or vendor bills.
Businesses will be notified via email regarding the status of their application. The Orange County Comptroller’s Office is responsible for handling the distribution of grants to businesses.
Individuals seeking financial assistance from the CARES Act are required to fill out an application for the Individual and Family Assistance Program online. The application window begins June 8 and closes once 2,000 applications have been submitted to the program. For residents without Internet access or who struggle with a language barrier, these individuals may call 3-1-1 for further assistance.
In order to be considered eligible for funding from the program, an individual – or an adult living in their household – must have experienced a job loss or a reduction in the number of work hours due to COVID-19, as stated by the program’s eligibility criteria online.
Applicants can choose from one of four areas of financial assistance when applying for the program: rental assistance, mortgage assistance, utility bill assistance or medical bill assistance.
Residents who meet the eligibility criteria and whose applications have been approved by the Orange County government will be provided with a one-time payment of $1,000, which they are not required to pay back. However, the funds are not sent directly to residents.
“Accepted applications will be processed for direct payment of $1,000 to the applicant’s property manager, mortgage company, medical provider or eligible utilities company,” the Individual and Family Assistance Program FAQ section states.
The Individual and Family Assistance Program will reopen weekly every other Wednesday and Saturday to accept new applications through December 19 or until all funds have been depleted, according to the program’s FAQ section. The county plans on reviewing approximately 1,000 applications per week. With this program, Orange County will be extending financial assistance to approximately 36,500 households.
The application review process takes 5-10 days from the date an application was originally submitted and residents will be notified via email regarding the status of their application. Distribution of funds will take approximately two to three weeks after an individual’s application has been approved and the required documentation has been submitted by their service provider.
Because of the extensiveness of the coronavirus, benefits from the Orange County CARES Act can be extended to all members of the community, including LGBTQ+ businesses, families and individuals.
“COVID[-19] is not preferential to race [or] to sexual orientation,” Thomas said. “If you’re an LGBTQ person and you have a small business or you live in Orange County, you’re able to get equal and fair treatment that anybody would get. It’s made open for everybody.”
The Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force also live streams their weekly meetings, which can be viewed across television platforms such as Spectrum (Ch. 488), Comcast (Ch.9) and Century Link Prism (Ch. 1081). Residents can submit comments to be addressed by members of the task force by sending them to Public.Comment@ocfl.net prior to 5 p.m. the day before the task force’s meeting. To view their meeting calendar, you can visit the task force’s official homepage.
For additional information on the CARES Act, please visit the Orange County government’s official website.
